Teel Time: UVa's bowl destination difficult to handicap with three games remaining

* Scouts from three bowls – the Military, Champs Sports and Chick-fil-A -- watched Virginia earn postseason eligibility for the first time since 2007. But don’t even attempt to figure which bowl will invite the Cavaliers.

Close strong, and Virginia (6-3, 3-2) could land at one of the better venues contracted with the ACC. That would include the Champs Sports in Orlando, or Music City in Nashville.

Fade late, and the Cavaliers could be bussing back up Route 29 to the Military Bowl at Washington, D.C.’s RFK Stadium.

But with Boston College and Maryland already eliminated from postseason consideration, and with Duke unlikely to become eligible, Virginia is almost assured one of the ACC’s available bowl spots.

The ACC is contracted with eight bowls and has a contingency deal with the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco if Army is not postseason eligible. Since the Cadets are unlikely to win six games, that ninth slot figures to be open.

* Virginia went 7-of-15 third down, hardly surprising against Maryland. Entering the game, Terps opponents were converting 51.7 percent of third downs.

That ranks Maryland 116th nationally in third-down defense, ahead of only UCLA, Kansas, Navy and New Mexico.

And because the defense can’t get off the field, the Terps rank last in the ACC in time of possession. Such was the case Saturday, as Virginia held the ball 34:10 to Maryland’s 25:50.

Due to injuries, the Terps have started at least four freshmen on defense in five games. No other team has started as many rookies on defense in as many games.

* In addition to his three interceptions, Virginia free safety Rodney McLeod had a team-high seven tackles. Linebacker Aaron Taliaferro from Gloucester High was next with six.

Taliaferro’s big stop came on a third-and-goal from the 1 late in the second quarter. He upended Davin Meggett for a 1-yard loss on a toss-sweep to the left.